


Broken To Lively

by TinderWulf



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Heartbreak, Loving Again, rejuvination
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-19 16:43:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13708500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinderWulf/pseuds/TinderWulf
Summary: When the man she loves breaks her heart, Shepard has to learn to cope. With it being Shepard, she learns pretty quickly, with some help along the way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I specifically left the EX unnamed or described, no species mentioned! He can be anyone you want him to be, except James or Garrus. I tried to leave Shepard vague too so that you could picture her as your favorite Shepard.
> 
> Please ignore typos or bad grammar. I own nothing, all belongs to Bioware.

The Dark Star wasn’t exactly her cup of tea, but it was far enough away from her apartment that it seemed the best place to be. 

While he packed his things. The cheating piece of shit.

She had told him if he wasn’t out in two hours, Glyph would shock his ass out of the door. 

It had been two hours since she parked her ass at this bar and an hour past the notification from Glyph that he was gone and removed from the apartment and elevator access. 

Two hours of whiskey. She wasn’t looking to get drunk, at least not now. They were out of ryncol, which had been her first choice. Shepard took it as a sign she wasn’t supposed to lose her head tonight, so instead, she bought a bottle of whiskey at an insanely high price. Fucking con artists. She was half-way through her second bottle when C-Sec approached her.

“What do you want, Blue?” she asked the turian that leaned against the bar next to her. 

“Bailey sent me to take you home, Commander,” he replied quietly. “You’re making a lot of people nervous.”

She snorted, then sighed. Maybe he was right. She probably should have gone to Purgatory instead since they knew her better. “Just because I have a gun on my hip while drinking heavily doesn’t mean I’m just going to go insane.”

“I know that, and you know that, but civilians…they aren’t as sure,” he told her, his voice neutral but oddly soothing. He was no Garrus though.

“Fine, but I’m taking the rest of this bottle with me,” she told him before flashing the receipt in his face as she stood. She was buzzing pretty good but not enough to feel the complete relaxation of her muscles.

They walked in silence to the officer’s C-Sec transport. It looked like Bailey wanted to make sure she got home safe and sound without any detours.

“Shepard, what’s got you so…what’s the human saying? Pink?” he asked.

She didn’t bother to correct him. “Ever had a significant other cheat on you but act as if it never happened like you would never find out?” she asked tiredly. “Then continue to do it.”

“Actually, yes. An asari,” he replied. “That idiot you were planning on becoming bondmates with?”

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “Yeah, that idiot.”

The rumbling purr was a small comfort but it made her miss Garrus more. “You deserve better, Shepard.”

“And so do you, Blue,” she told him, gazing out the window as buildings passed by.

“I don’t know how your sense of smell is, but turians usually decontaminate after break ups. Is that something you’d be interested in?” he asked seriously.

“My sense of smell is on par with turians and I thank you for asking. I already sent the command as soon as my assistant told me he was gone,” she said. “It should smell like nothing.”

“As soon as I get you home, I’m off shift. Do you want to do a walk through with a perfect stranger so that said perfect stranger can carry whatever’s left off to the buildings incinerator?” He asked, his voice warbling with humor, before adding in a sing song tone, “It’ll make you feel better.”

She couldn’t help it, his offer made her chuckle. “You know I think I would like that.”

“Good,” he said as the transport began to land on the roof. “Trust me when I tell you, waking up in the morning with the belongings and scent gone makes it a lot easier to get yourself through it.”

There was only a microsecond of hesitation before she opened the door to her apartment. And just as she hoped, the musky scent that usually filled the air was gone. It hurt. A lot. The officer behind her purred as he gripped her shoulder lightly. She knew he was trying to comfort and support her. She took a deep breath, then nodded when she was ready.

“Let’s start in the bedroom and get the hardest part over with,” he said as he motioned her to lead the way.

The bedroom was just the way she had left it that morning. Messy sheets, indentions on both pillows. Sweet words filled with lies that had been whispered in her ear. The pillow would still smell like him. That couldn’t be fixed with decontamination. 

“The bedding all has to go, including the pillows,” she whispered roughly.

The turian said nothing as he tied it all up and disappeared, leaving the bed bare. He was efficient, she’d give him that. He returned a few minutes later with a crate. Sitting on the bed, Shepard opened the nightstand. 

With a bitter laugh, she picked up the condoms and lube and tossed them in the crate before grabbing a datapad that was filled with his books. There was a tiny thrill of joy when she broke the datapad in half before dropping it in the crate.

Blue said nothing as he lifted the crate and followed her to the shelves. A few stuffed animals were tossed with a few more datapads and a model ship they had built together.

The bathroom was next. She was sure the crate was beginning to get heavy after dumping two drawers of cleaning products into it. Who knew a man needed that much? Custom towels came next, with their matching hand towels and rags. Pretty old fashioned, but they had been nice to have at one point. 

There was nothing of his left in the closet.

When she gave the turian a nod, he disappeared again as she removed new packaged sheets from the linen drawer. These were a gift from Admiral Hackett to her specifically after she complained about the sheets in the hospital. The man had a dry sense of humor, but she was grateful for them in this moment. 

When Blue returned, he helped her make the bed and even grabbed some pillows out of the spare upstairs bedroom.

The rest of the walk-through was just as thorough and quiet. There wasn’t a whole lot left in the rest of the house. But then, she really wasn’t home enough to migrate them outside of the bedroom.

The last thing they cleared was the bar. Anything that wasn’t hers was tossed. The turian carrying the crate didn’t complain at the weight, he just hefted it with ease and walked out the front door to the trash chute. From there, if it hadn’t happened already, it all would be incinerated. Blue had even gone so far as to delete holo’s that the man was in instead of her just tossing the whole frame out. 

“Now what?” she asked tiredly. “What do I do next?”

“There’s several ways you can mourn,” he said gently as he sat next to her. “You can drink, fight, fuck, scream…” His dual tone was warm. “You can do them all, or do none. But no matter how you mourn just take it one day at a time and try not to hurt anyone in the process.”

“Is that experience talking?” she asked, her eyes meeting his.

“I went to bed with a female I knew cared for me,” he told her, his voice betraying some pain he felt at the memory. “I used her to feel wanted and I regret it every day.” He sighed. “She won’t acknowledge my existence to this day. I apologized when I got my head on straight, but…the damage was done.”

“Is wanting to have sex normal after a break up?” she asked him. It shouldn’t be with so much pain coursing through her, but her body screamed for fulfillment.

“When someone treats you like you are nothing, or they cheat, or they walk out on you, then absolutely,” he told her. “You want vindication that you matter to someone no matter how little time you are with them. Sex is a normal outlet for a lot of species.”

“Did Bailey send you because you’re good with words?” she asked him with a smirk she almost felt.

Blue laughed quietly, “He sent me because I pissed him off and I have a minor degree in psychology.”

“I guess I got lucky,” she teased. “Why just a minor degree?”

“I only got it to help me be a better C-Sec officer,” he said, leaning back on the couch. “It wasn’t easy, especially with so many species to study.”

Shepard hummed as she leaned back against him. He wasn’t a comfortable pillow physically but it calmed her nonetheless. Even if the armor was cold against her. “Tell me a story,” she commanded softly.

After a moment of hesitation, and an amused sigh, he began. “It was the year 2183, and the very first human was inducted into the coveted Spectre branch. Highly respected among many council species. Now, I didn’t think much of it then, there were new Spectres all the time, but when the rumors started flying through C-Sec about the first human spectre taking different species on board…”

Her eyes began to close as he retold her Spectre life story from his point of view. It was different and the same. The calming tone of his subvocals had her drifting into sleep as he retold the Battle of the Citadel.

* * *

“Shepard, please get the gun out of my face…” a turian voice said as she opened her eyes. It took a moment for her to recognize him.

“I’m sorry, it’s…”

“Habit,” he interrupted. “I promise I’m not carrying you to bed to accost you,” he told her as he gently lay her on the mattress. 

“And if you were invited?” she asked.

“Then I’d be an idiot to not accept such an invitation from such an attractive woman,” he told her, his voice thick with arousal. 

“Why don’t you take off your armor and stay a while,” she whispered as she toed her shoes off.

His armor was carefully stacked on the floor, his underarmor carelessly dropped to the floor at the foot of her bed before he helped pull her legs free of her clothing, his hands caressing her legs as her shirt and bra fell to the floor.

He was slow in his exploration of her, finding which places brought the most reaction. He growled when he smelled her arousal, his teeth lightly nipping her thigh as he spread her legs father apart. Her back arched off the bed when his tongue dipped between her folds.

Blue definitely knew what he was doing, she thought, as his finger entered her and his tongue circled her clit. He had her crashing through her orgasm far faster than she anticipated. Her thighs shook and her muscles convulsed around his finger, his aroused growl drawing a whimper from her as he removed his finger and tasted his way up her body.

“Turn over,” he ordered as he sat back on his knees. She obeyed, his hands roughing pulling her up on all fours before he filled her. He was gentle as he pulled the top half of her body up against his. “How do you feel about biting, Shepard?” he asked, his hips still against her. 

“Like a bondmark?” she asked, confused and needing him to move.

“Similar, but you put medigel on it and it’s gone in less than a week.”

“Okay,” she said in permission, his growl making her moan as he nipped at her shoulder. This wasn’t her first time with a turian, but it was the first time she was asked if they could mark her.

The thoughts were quickly drown out by the sensations of his hips snapping into hers his arms locking her in places as he roughly fucked her.

She would be sore, but it was worth it. So worth it, she thought, as his finger dipped down into her folds, his teeth lightly scraping her shoulder. She cried out when hit bit down, the pain going straight to her core as euphoria washed over her again, his moans joining hers as he thrust hard into her.

As soon as his teeth released her, she fell forward on her forearms as his hips jerked, his soft growl signifying his release as he filled her. 

A satisfied moan left her as he pulled himself free, both collapsing onto the bed. That was definitely amazing. So damned good she could barely keep her eyes open. “Thank you,” she mumbled sleepily. “Fucking fantastic.”

His raspy laugh made her smile. “Yes it was, Shepard,” he told her. “And thank you.”

When she woke up, he was gone. All that was left behind were rumpled sheets and a datapad propped up on her nightstand with a used tube of medigel. She turned the datapad on after several clumsy tries.

{ _Shepard,_

_You are an amazing person, and not just because you rocked my world in bed, but because you are just you. I enjoyed our time together, however brief, and I hope to come across you again someday._

_-My advice with my pretty little degree:_

_Don’t jump into a relationship just yet. No strings sex is best. Turians are the best at this type of sex. Don’t feel ashamed for having sex, Shepard. It’s perfectly normal. And besides, the sounds you make are wonderfully delicious. Turians enjoy a vocal lover._

_Lean on trusted friends. People you know that have your six and aren’t going to abuse your raw, emotional state._

_Don’t swell on what could have been and just take the healing process one day at a time. –_

_Now that the professional stuff is said, you truly are incredible. Strong and caring. I know you’ll pull through the next few months and I for one can’t wait to see that shining Spectre plastered all over the news networks again. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need a professional listener. I am at your service._

_Thank you for such an amazing romp, seriously, I can’t thank you enough. It’s been a while since I’ve had a stress relief session. That’s my own fault, I like to stay home like a hermit? I think that’s the human saying. Anyway, let Bailey know if you need to contact me. Go kick some ass. I need more stories to tell my children that I may or may not have someday._

_~Blue_ }

With a rough and highly amused chuckle, Shepard stood to stretch her sore body. He called her an incredible romp? All she did was receive. He’d been the amazing one, pulling out not one but two orgasms like they were nothing. She needed his secrets.


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting at the kitchen bar sipping on her coffee, brought two realizations. The first being how quiet it was in her apartment. So quiet she felt like she was suffocating. The second was how much her heart ached. Not because she had sex with Blue, no she didn’t feel a drop of guilt or pain for that. It was the quiet that made her realize how much _he_ hurt her. 

And how angry that made her. 

Then depressed.

Uncaring.

Despair.

A vicious circle of emotion that just slammed into her over and over again in the silence of her apartment. 

Normally, she’d just pour herself into work. But they were on shore leave for the week. She wasn’t interested in hanging out with James at the bar or Cortez at the docks. Not that they weren’t good people, they were. But she couldn’t handle their joy. And she couldn’t fake her own, not right now, not when she felt like she was being consumed. There really wasn’t anywhere for her to go that she could hide from her crew until she got herself in check.

Except maybe the krogan district. They wouldn’t give a shit how she felt. Hell, they’d probably just ignore her anyway. Being Clan Urdnot had its advantages.

* * *

There were a few curious stares as she exited the transport, but most went back to their own business when they recognized her. That’s what she liked about krogan. 

Spotting an interesting store, she headed in that direction only to come up short when she saw a laughing child running from the angry mother.

“Halt,” Shepard ordered in the same tone she used with Grunt. “What are you doing?”

“Playing soldier, human, what does it look like?” the kid replied in a tone that made her think of snot-nosed brats.

“I see,” she said as she saw the mother stop when she caught sight of Shepard and child. “And the reason you’re disobeying a direct order from your leader?” The child’s mouth opened and closed several times before he dropped his head. “Until you’re of age, your mother is your leader, is she not?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the kid said, sulking.

“And disobeying her orders means what?”

“That I get disciplinary action on my files.”

Shepard had to swallow down the laughter that threatened to pour out. “Good,” she said, her voice stern despite the laughter hiding underneath the surface. “You understand that there are consequences to every action?” The nod the kid gave her was a little dramatic but it was affirmation. “Okay then, go back to your leader and apologize for your behavior.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the boy said as he turned around and returned to his mother.

“Damn little pyjack!” a familiar voice yelled after Shepard had nodded to the female the child returned to. “Come back here!”

What the hell was going on? It was like a childcare down here but without the actual care, she thought, as a toddler laughed and squealed before Shepard automatically scooped her up.

“You are adorable!” Shepard said as the happy child looked up at her in awe. 

“Shepard!” Wrex boomed, turning heads. “Only you could catch your namesake,” he told her as he slapped her arm.

“She’s named Shepard?” she asked, tears filling her eyes.

“Yep, Shepard Jr.” Wrex replied. “As much trouble as she gets into, she seems to have been named appropriately.”

Her smile was huge when she held Shepard Jr. up for inspection. She had red plating just like her dad, fierce little eyes, and she was heavy! “She’s beautiful!” she said as she swung the girl around, the toddler’s laughter warming her soul.

“Why don’t you join us for lunch,” Wrex said as he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder. “We’ll try my Uncles new diner. He’s added a human menu since you’ve been adopted into the clan.”

“Be careful, Wrex, you’ll make me feel all warm and tingly on the inside,” Shepard teased as she tried to contain the little mini Shepard.

“Only the best for my sister,” he said affectionately. “Let’s hope he doesn’t poison you, I’d hate to have to kill him. He’s my favorite uncle, Shepard,” Wrex said when the conversation got a little too mushy for his liking. He always did that. 

Once they got Shepard Jr. corralled in a high chair, and ordered their food, Wrex questioned her about everything. He wasn’t gentle, but then he didn’t favor sugar coating. He preferred to be blunt. Another reason Shepard liked him. 

“I could kill him,” Wrex said in a low growl. “Just say the word.”

“That’s okay, Wrex, but I’ll let you know if I change my mind,” she told him. She was only half joking. There were more important things in life than killing because she got her heart broken. 

They enjoyed their meals, hers surprisingly tasty, as they caught up. Wrex had come to make sure the new krogan ambassador had everything she needed. And Shepard Jr. just had to tag along because she was a daddy’s girl. 

It made her heart ache a little. She’d been so busy with all the peace keeping crap that she hadn’t stopped in to see Wrex since the babies were born. And even then, she hadn’t got to stay long. 

Maybe that was why her fiancé found someone else. Because she hadn’t been around enough. It didn’t matter, she supposed. What’s done is done. 

“How’s Vakarian?” Wrex asked, breaking her from her dark thoughts.

“I don’t know, he’s been on Palaven for a while,” Shepard answered. She missed him. The Normandy really didn’t feel right without its resident sarcastic turian. Now that she was thinking about it, a lot of the crew missed him. She wasn’t the only one looking to the Main Battery waiting for Mr. Ego to step out with some smart-ass comment on the tip of his blue tongue.

Why the hell hadn’t she kept in better touch with him? It was easily apparent that she was a shitty friend. 

The trio walked the district together, Shepard pulling Wrex into any store she found interesting. Including a children’s store. 

“They don’t need any junk, Shepard,” Wrex told her when she bee-lined for the stuffed animals.

“Auntie Shepard says they do,” she replied when she found a varren that looked just like Urz. “Awe! It’s Urz Jr.!” She said excitedly as she offered the toy to Shepard Jr. The toddler squealed in excitement. “Excuse me, Sir, I’d like six more of these!”

“You’re going to spoil my brood, Shepard,” Wrex grumbled as he took the bag from the smiling shopkeeper. 

“That’s what aunts are for, Wrex,” she told him with a smile. “Isn’t that right, Junior?”

All too soon it was time for them to catch their ride back to Tuchanka. Shepard watched from the observation window as the ship left the Citadel. It was a little bittersweet, but it left her feeling a little more normal. Humbled, really. Shepard Jr. would be home in no time showing off her new varren to Bakara. 

The walk back to Silversun Strip was long and quiet. She really wasn’t wanting to go home yet. Not with it being so quiet in there. But she was too tired to participate in the arena. The noise from the arcade would be too overwhelming. 

Going home was the only choice she had. 

Before she walked in the door to her building, she noticed the furniture store had new additions. A lot of the furniture she chose was because _he_ liked it. So, perhaps this time she should purchase what tickled her fancy.

And by the Goddess they had black leather.

She ordered everything. Chairs, tables, couches, and a new paint job in her entire apartment. A few aesthetic upgrades as well. Everything _she_ loved. The deep red in the white kitchen with black furniture. Yes, yes, and yes. She was excited.

With the promises of her furniture to be delivered the following day, Shepard called a local charity and told them to come collect the old furniture. They would be there in a few hours.

* * *

By the time the charity came to collect her donation, Shepard had everything on the first floor piled into the entry way. There were only a handful of pieces they had to carry down, but they were eager since their refugee quarters needed seating. 

Before they were gone painters had showed up, much to her surprise. Shepard expected they would take all day tomorrow to get everything done, but apparently they were highly efficient. Or her name had been pushed to the top of the list. She didn’t know and neither did she care.

The group of painters were ecstatic to have so much room to move and less furniture to heft out of their way and cover.

The muted colors she chose for the rest of the apartment made it feel cozy. A place she could enjoy being. No more white walls, no more ugly brown leather seating. It was like getting a makeover!

When they showed no sign at stopping at dinner time, she ordered in for them all. She refused to take their payment, citing their impressive work ethic and it was to be considered a tip.

They only took a break long enough to eat, a handsome turian eyeing her heatedly. He was pretty attractive. A little scarred. Very sexy eyes. Vivid grey. You expect grey to be boring, but added with his reddish plating and red colony marks, well…his eyes stood out. Then the way his neck darkened when she licked her lips was all the information she needed to know he was open to some stress relief. And hell, why not? She winked at him when he met her eyes, his mandible twitched in acknowledgement. The humans and a salarian paid no attention to her silent invitation as they devoured their meal like they hadn’t eaten all day.

Later, when he returned with a bottle of wine, they wasted no time. His tongue was in her mouth before he lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. The bottle of wine forgotten on the kitchen counter as he easily carried her up the stairs to the room where no doubt her scent was the strongest. 

She wasn’t gentle in her taking of him, and to be fair, he wasn’t gentle with receiving. They both came out with scratches and bite marks that helped bring them both to orgasm. 

_Grey_ growled when she led him to the hot tub to clean their wounds, where he ended up bending her over the side and taking her again as water splashed out onto the floor. Not that she cared, he was easily distracting and wonderfully rough.

Until she hissed when he removed himself. His aftercare was tender as they applied medigel to each other before he dressed and offered Shepard her robe. She was completely worn out and grateful for the way he treated her. 

Walking him to the door seemed to be appreciate by the man, as he leaned down and gently nipped her cheek and whispered his thanks before he took his leave.

Blue had been right. Turians were great at stress relief. And so very kind! There was no awkwardness. That really wasn’t something she noticed before. Grizz had been enjoyable, but he was asleep when she left. As was the other one, but she couldn’t remember his name. One of the guards on Noveria. She laughed at the memory. That turian had really liked donuts. 

The apartment felt completely different than it did two days ago. Refreshing was a word that came to mind easily. Did her heart still ache? Hell yes, but she knew she would be okay eventually. 

Acceptance. That was what she was feeling. 

Tomorrow her new apartment would be complete. And maybe her heart would feel a little lighter.


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of her alarm waking her was a little different from hearing EDI, or waking up naturally. But she had furniture coming in an hour and she wanted to make sure she was dressed and had at least a little bit of coffee.

She was waiting impatiently for her coffee when her omnitool pinged with a message.

_TO: Urdnot Shepard  
FROM: Urdnot Wrex  
SUBJ: Kids_

_I forgot to tell you we named one after your turian too. And the salarian. I could only manage to get a holo of the three juniors. Damn balls of energy is all these kids are. Sorry if it’s too blurry for your weak human eyes._

_Miss you but don’t tell anyone._

_-Wrex_

Shepard burst into laughter at the sight of the three krogan. Shepard Jr. was easy to see clutching her stuffed varren. Garrus Jr. was biting someone’s hand as they were trying to take some kind of circuit board from him. Aptly named in her opinion. Then there was little Mordin Jr., the runt. He was small and completely oblivious to the other two as he examined some kind of shiny rock. 

A tear slid down her cheek before she could stop it. She didn’t realize she wanted children until that moment. But that way okay. It _was_. She was a banisher of evil, at least that’s what the asari said. That would hold her over for now. She quickly wiped the tear away and added the holo to the large frame in the bar area. It held all those close to her heart. 

With a sigh, she pulled her coffee cup down and began to add sugar when her doorbell rang. Her furniture was early.

“Glyph, open the door,” she ordered. “I’ll tell you where it goes in just a moment,” she said loudly as she added creamer. She caught sight of _his_ coffee mug in the open cupboard. She quickly grabbed it and dropped it in the garbage.

“Where what goes?”

“Garrus!” Shepard said with a smile as she turned around. Except it wasn’t just Garrus. 

“Shepard,” he said, his mandibles spreading in his equivalent of a smile.

Screw it, she thought, with a laugh as she launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck the best she could. “Damn it,” she whispered right before the dam broke. She cried, not caring in that moment that there were two vaguely familiar turians that excused themselves to the other room while Garrus hugged her. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” he told her.

“I thought I was okay,” she said, her voice cracking. “But your scent hit me hard.”

“Are you saying I stink?” he teased as he moved to sit her on the kitchen bar without removing his arms from her.

“No,” she said with a watery chuckle as she finally released her grip on him. “I don’t know how to explain it.” She was being sappy enough as it was. She was Commander Shepard, damn it, and she didn’t cry.

“We were on the Citadel, I was hoping you wouldn’t mind my stopping by since the Normandy was docked,” he said.

“Of course I don’t mind,” she said honestly. “You know you’re welcome here always.”

“I noticed a lack of scent when I walked in…” he said gently.

Shepard’s eyes filled again as she nodded her head. “Three days or so. I’m not real sure anymore since the last few days are kind of melded together.”

“He hurt you,” Garrus growled.

“Yeah, he did, but I’ll be okay,” she told him, his eyes boring into hers. Gods she’s missed his eyes. And his voice. “I’ve really missed you the last year, Garrus,” she told him. 

If Garrus noticed the bite marks her tank top failed to hide on her shoulders, he said nothing. But then, turians really didn’t tease like humans did. 

“I really missed you too,” he told her again. “Now dry your face and get some coffee. I know how you are without your coffee.” She laughed roughly as he helped her down off the bar before wiping a fresh tear away with his gloved hand. “Come meet my dad and sister, officially.”

“Great, their first impression is going to be that I’m an emotional mess and not worthy of knowing you,” she whispered hoping the turians didn’t hear her.

Grabbing her cup, Garrus escorted her into the bar area, with only bar stools as seating. How embarrassing. When Garrus raised a brow plate at her in question, she put on her best Brittish accent and told him, “I just woke up this morning and hated everything.” Oh, how she loved that movie. “Just kidding, I needed a change and I figured making my apartment the way I wanted it was the best change I could make.”

“That explains the fresh paint,” Garrus said.

“I thought you were the furniture delivery people,” she said sheepishly.

Introductions were quickly made and Castis Vakarian was just as intimidating as she thought he’d be, but before she let that sink in she ushered them to the giant holo frame. “Wrex sent news this morning,” she said as she slid the holo and pressed pause. “This little girl is Shepard Jr.”

“She definitely has your love of varren,” Garrus teased.

“And this adorable bundle is Garrus Jr.”

“Hah! Looks just like one of Garrus’ baby holo’s,” Solana teased, Castis agreeing as Garrus mumbled something unrecognizable to her translator.

“And the runt is Mordin Jr.,” Shepard said with a sigh.

Garrus chuckled roughly, his voice tight with emotion. “He sure looks like a Mordin to me.”

She pressed play on the holo so it would rotate with all her crew, past and present. They were all important to her and this was her way of honoring them with holo’s she privately took throughout their missions. 

Before she could return to the bar, the doorbell rang. “Surely that’s my furniture.” 

It was. She excused herself as she began directing movers where to put what. It only took about an hour to get it all moved in and placed. 

“What do you think?” she asked Garrus as he took it all in.

“It’s very…what’s the word I’m looking for…”

“Warm,” Solana said as she sank down onto the couch.

“Yes, that too, but…” Garrus said, tapping a talon against his chin.

“Inviting,” Castis added as he joined Solana.

“Yes, that too, but you know what? It’s very Shepard,” Garrus said giving up. 

Shepard shook her head at his dramatics. “Have you all had breakfast?” she asked when her stomach reminded her that she needed to eat. When they shook their heads no, she quickly put in an order to the nearest diner on the strip. Within half an hour, their packages were strewn across her new coffee table as they talked.

“Shepard, I don’t mean to pry, but I noticed you have turian marks on your shoulders,” Solana started while Garrus and Castis groaned. “What? Garrus said she’s not the typical human!”

Shepard chuckled, “What your question, Sol?”

“I was under the impression that you were engaged, is your relationship open?”

“Sol,” Garrus said, his eyes conveying an apology Shepard didn’t need.

“It’s fine, Garrus,” she said gently, patting his hand. “He had an affair, quite a few in fact, and left several days ago.” She took a drink of her luke warm coffee before continuing. “This one is from a C-Sec officer who actually helped me purge my apartment of his belongings he left behind. He has a degree in emotional head crap, but he was very helpful helping me think straight.”

Solana nodded in understanding.

“This one was one of the painters that painted my apartment yesterday.” 

“I’m sorry,” Solana said. “I’m studying how different species work together, so I’m just curious.”

“It’s okay, Sol, I’m not shy about my sex life,” Shepard told her. It was a little awkward but she could tell that Sol was genuine in her questions.

“Were they your first turians?”

“Spirits, Sol!” Garrus muttered, making Shepard laugh.

“No. To be honest I don’t remember the first but it was before becoming a spectre. There was the donut loving turian on Noveria after dealing with the shit storm Saren had going there,” Shepard told her. Man that had been crazy stressful. “Then Grizz on Omega after I was risen from the dead,” she said, Garrus whipped his head around to look at her. “What? Don’t judge me Mr. Reach!” 

Garrus opened his mouth only to shut it with an audible snap before replying. “Fair enough.”

“Have you ever thought of bonding to a turian?” Solana asked.

“I can’t say that I have. Mostly because the only turians I’ve slept with was specifically for stress release,” Shepard answered honestly.

“Thank you, Shepard,” Solana told her. 

They cleared their trash as Solana tried to talk Garrus into a round at the arena. “If Shepard goes, I’ll go,” he finally told her. 

The young woman’s big hopeful eyes landed on Shepard, she tried to resist, she really did. But a round in the arena actually sounded fun. With a chuckle, she answered. “Sure, I’ll get my gear.”

“Yes!” Solana whooped in victory.

Garrus shook his head before following Shepard up the stairs to help her get her armor on. “It’s hard to say no to those big blue eyes, isn’t it?”

“Hell yes it is, but I could use some bad guys to focus my anger on,” Shepard replied as they entered her room.

Garrus helped her lay her spare set of armor out on the bed before she stripped. Changing her panties was first, she needed the short spandex shorts that wouldn’t dig into her skin. “Garrus, will you check my bag for my sports bra?” Where the hell was it?

“Is this mangled piece of cloth your sports bra?” he asked, the black fabric dangling from his finger. 

“Damn it, I forgot about that,” she said as she took the garment and tossed it in the trash can inside her closet. Turning her back to Garrus, she removed her front clasping bra. His hiss had her reaching for her gun that wasn’t there. “What is it?”

“Your back,” he rumbled. 

“Grey was quite eager, but the poor guy had just as many scratches,” Shepard told him as she pulled her cotton sports bra over her head. She was going to need to reorder her favorites.

“Did he stay long enough to at least put medigel on you?” Garrus asked as he pulled a small packet of medigel from a drawer in her closet.

“He did,” she replied with a smile. “He was the perfect gentleman, Garrus.”

“Good, now stay still for a minute,” he said quietly before removing a glove. 

“Hey, Garrus?” 

“Hmm?” he answered as he carefully applied medigel.

“I’m not the only one that misses you. My crew sits at the mess table staring at the Main Battery with sad, pitiful faces, waiting for our favorite turian to come out and join us,” she told him, her throat tightening. It was harder than she thought it would be when he told her he was returning to Palaven. On all of the. “I don’t want to make you feel bad because after all the shit we’ve been through, you deserve to do something for you,” she told him. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, his cold armor pressed between her shoulder blades as she laced her fingers with his bare talons. “I just want you to consider coming home. And if not, that’s okay.” It wasn’t okay, but he deserved to do what made him happy. Even if it wasn’t on the Normandy. “There’s always a place for you, even if you just hitch a ride.”

“I’ll think about, Shepard,” he told her, his mandible tickling her temple. 

“That goes for your family too,” she told him before releasing his hand and reaching for her underarmor. “I think Sol could learn a lot on the Normandy with so many different species working together, and I’m looking for someone to help coordinate classified intel. With your dad’s experience…”

Garrus chuckled, his dual tone washing over her. So much comfort from his simple voice. “I’ll talk to them about it.”

“Good,” she said with a sigh. “Now, let’s go show Solana what a badass team really looks like


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual please ignore typos and any grammar I missed during edits.
> 
> On another note, this fic is finished. I try not to post without the fic being completed on my end, simply because I know how much it sucks to get into a fic only for the updates to stop coming!

It was the last night of shore leave. Shepard knew her crew was out getting drunk and blowing off steam as they tried to ignore the countdown. They would leave in the morning. 

The marks on her body from her lovers were gone. No trace left, except maybe lingering scents on the sheets, but even those were hard to find.

Quickly stripping, she slid into the cool sheets, a satisfied moan leaving her lips. She loved the cool sheets. 

“Commander, Garrus Vakarian is requesting entrance,” Glyph said, his little blue orb floating outside her door.

“Approved,” she said. “Tell him I’m in my room, and add him to the approved list for automatic entry.”

Even if he didn’t join her on the Normandy, he and his family could use the apartment when she wasn’t here. Which was a lot, unfortunately. 

“Shepard, we need to talk,” Garrus said as he walked in the door to her room. 

“I hate those words, Garrus,” she told him. Shepard was sure everyone in existence hated those words.

“The reason I left the Normandy was because he told me you didn’t want me there,” Garrus rushed out, his weight roughly jostling the bed as he sat.

“What?!” She near yelled. “That’s bullshit, Garrus!”

“I know that now,” Garrus told her. “But a year ago?”

“Why?” she whispered. “Why would he do that, he knew that you’re my closest friend.”

“I don’t know, Shepard,” Garrus said quietly. “But after your reaction at seeing me the other day, I knew it wasn’t true.”

“He was jealous of you,” Shepard said, puzzle pieces falling into place. “He was the one with the loose zipper but he was jealous of any man that I so much as smiled at. I thought his reactions were because he was insecure.”

“But it was a way to control you,” Garrus added.

“Holy shit,” she said as she stared up at the darkness. It had worked too. It worked really fucking well.

“He did have a reason to be jealous,” Garrus said, she just knew his mandible was twitching in a smirk even though she couldn’t see it. “Every turian I’ve seen near you wants to bed you.”

“Please don’t say your dad, Garrus,” she told him as she shuddered.

That pulled a surprised laugh out of him. “No, not my dad.”

“That’s a relief, especially since I offered him a job on my ship!”

“Listen, I’ll take my position back on the Normandy regardless of how you answer my next question…”

“Really?” she said excitedly. The crew would be thrilled! “What’s the question?”

“That you stop taking random turians to your bed,” she was close to smacking him, but she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt here especially since he was incredibly nervous. “And you use me for stress relief. Exclusively.”

“Huh,” she muttered dumbly. “No, don’t say anything, let me process.” He wanted to be her only lover. She couldn’t say it never crossed her mind. He was sexy as hell, a great shot, and honestly…she didn’t trust anyone more than him. But he was also her best friend. The warning Blue gave her lingered. “How is this going to affect our friendship?”

“For turians it wouldn’t change anything. It’s like being friends with benefits, except we only bed each other.”

“So I’d be your only bedmate?” She asked him, surprised.

“Yes.”

He wasn’t trying to control her sex life. Garrus would be committed to only bedding her and she didn’t have to worry about getting pregnant or STD’s. Plus stress relief any time they needed it, that was definitely a plus. 

Throwing her covers back, she smiled even though he couldn’t see it, especially with his back to her. “Take off your glove, let’s shake on it,” she told him. A soft laugh bubbled out when his glove hit the floor in record time. “I accept your proposal.” They shook hands in the dark, his happy rumble making her smile again. “I was thinking,” she said as she took his hand, his body turning to her slightly before she lay his hand on her shoulder and guided it over breast, her sigh making him growl. “That we could start right now,” she whispered as she settled his hand on her hip.

Armor dropped to the floor before he even stood up. Each piece that fell made her heart rate increase. She knew he could see it in his visor, before the visor itself was placed on the bedside table. Shepard couldn’t wait anymore.

She rose to her knees, grabbing his underarmor and jerked him to her. Spirits, the noises he made were intoxicating. “Get this off,” she whispered huskily as he kicked the last of his armor out of the way.

When he didn’t move fast enough, she found the zipper and pulled it down, her hands immediately spreading across his plates. 

“Shepard, as much as I’d like to take my time and explore every inch of your body,” Garrus told her as her fingers dipped between his plates, his sharp inhale loud to her ears, “Spirits, I just want to be inside you.”

“Then what’s taking you so long,” she teased as she removed her hands and positioned herself on all fours in front of him before pushing her ass back against him. The movement earned her a growl.

Then he was inside of her, her back arching and a moan leaving her mouth at the intrusion. Garrus fisted a hand in her hair and jerked, her moan spurring him on as he thrust roughly into her. “More,” she demanded. She wanted to feel him in the morning. 

“I waited too damn long to have you,” Garrus told her as he jerked her head up so his mouth was against her ear. “I’m going to fill you, and then I’m going to lay down and watch you come undone on me.”

Turian stamina. “Fuck,” she whispered as he released her hair and drove into her. He was denying her an orgasm and fuck if it didn’t just arouse her more. Then he stilled against her, his cock twitching inside of her as he moaned his first release. Shepard felt drunk with arousal. 

Garrus activated the lamp as soon as he pulled out of her, his hand caressing her ass before he walked over to the other side of the bed and began arranging pillows. His cock still hard and proud as he lay down and motioned her over. 

If she were the self-conscious type, now would be the time it would happen. Especially when his heated eyes watched her straddle his hips. She sank down on him with a sigh, his hands gripping her hips as she began to rock. It didn’t take long to feel it build, not with his pelvic plates aiding in stimulation.

True to his word, he watched her peak. Only when her hips began to slow and her moans turned to whimpers did he take advantage of their closeness, his tongue asking for entrance to her mouth that she gave and returned eagerly. Spirits he tasted good.

He pulled his head back, his hands moving her hips faster against him. “Can I mark you?” he asked huskily. It wouldn’t be easy with her laying on top of him, not a good angle, so she stopped moving to adjust her legs and pull him up by his carapace, with his help, as she wrapped her legs behind him so he'd have more room to move his upper body.

“Yes,” she told him as she began moving her hips again. The pain made her head fall back in ecstasy as the second wave of pleasure hit her. She rocked her hips hard through the orgasm, her nails digging into his neck as his growls intensified.

He held her tightly in place as he filled her again, his forehead resting against hers as his cock twitched inside of her. 

They said nothing as they tried to catch their breath. She didn’t know how long they stayed like that, wrapped around each other as they came down from their high. But it was the first time in a long time that she was gently placed back on to the bed and spooned as sleep overtook them both.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sincerest apologies for the late update. I wrote a oneshot that accidentally got out of hand. Way out of hand. It's now 8 chapters long. 
> 
> As usual, please ignore typos that I missed during the editing process.

It was a normal breakfast on the Normandy. The crew were looking at the Main Battery, sad as usual.

[ _Hey, Garrus. It’s time to make that dramatic entrance._ ]

A few seconds later the Main Battery door opened, and a familiar turian exited. “What’s with all the long faces?” he asked as he walked down the steps.

Forks and spoons clattered to the table seconds before all hell broke loose. Shepard sat back and watched as the crew hooted and hollered, welcoming their Executive Officer back on board. 

“Your crew respects him immensely,” Castis said as he watched the scene.

“Yes, they do. He’s family,” she told him. “And you will be too.”

“I don’t know about that, I don’t adapt as well as my son does.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said as she lay a hand on his shoulder. “They will love you whether you like it or not. Just ask Javik.”

“The grouchy prothean?” Castis asked, his eyes showing the humor his face wasn’t.

Shepard laughed, “He says he wants to throw us out of the airlock, but I like to think that’s just how he says he loves us too.”

“Interesting people you have here, Commander,” Castis said, his mandible flickering in a smirk. “I’m going to go unpack, and I thank you for the private quarters.”

“You’re welcome,” she told him. Life Support had remained empty since Thane’s time on this ship. But Shepard thought Thane would approve and probably ask her why it took her so long to assign the room to someone. _Because I miss you._

When Garrus finally was free, Shepard escorted him toward medbay. “While _I_ know everything is in working order,” she flirted. “Doctor Chakwas is still going to want a physical.” Garrus groaned. “You better report to her, you know what happens when you don’t.”

“She will hunt me down and make me strip where I stand,” Garrus complained. He’d learned the hard way on the original Normandy. Ashley hadn’t been able to look at Garrus for a week after that.

* * *

Days turn to weeks, and weeks to months. Garrus warmed her bed nearly every night. Castis had caught their mingled scent, Shepard was sure but he said nothing.

Sometimes, when she woke up, the sting was there that her ex had left behind. The anger slowly dissipated with each passing day, as did the hurt. But it still lingered, like any other heartache.

Castis had turned out to be a huge asset to the Normandy. The former detective had a knack for finding up and coming pirates or tracing stolen goods that required Spectre interference. The man never asked where some of the information came from, but Shepard was sure he had his suspicions. 

Solana continued her education through the extranet and her experiences on board. Her professor was highly impressed with what she had learned on her own. She would be an excellent therapist for interspecies couples. But she was still unsure of exactly what she wanted to do. 

With her work caught up, and supplies running low, Shepard decided to head back to the Citadel and call shore leave. There was some business to attend to there anyway.

* * *

Always the last to leave her ship, outside of Joker, Shepard stepped into the airlock and waited for the decon to run its cycle. Garrus was supposed to meet her in the docking bay so they could head home before they hit the arena. 

When she stepped out into the harsh lighting, she came face to face with the one person she didn’t want to see again.

_Him._

Her smile faded as her mask slipped into place. 

“Shepard,” he whispered.

At one time she would have loved to hear the way he said her name. But that time had expired. “What do you want?” she asked, her voice diplomatic even though she’d love nothing more than to break anything on him for showing up after she'd healed. She couldn’t help but find him highly annoying. 

“I was wondering if we could talk,” he said sweetly.

She snorted unprofessionally, “No thanks. If you’ll excuse me…” he blocked her from moving.

“Please. I messed up and I’m sorry,” he whined. She couldn’t believe she ever found his voice attractive. “Can I come home? Make it up to you and show you how much you really mean to me?”

What. The. Actual. Fuck. She looked over to Garrus leaning nonchalantly against the railing, her eyes begging him to intervene or she might actually kill the scum. Her shoulders relaxed when he pushed himself off the rail and walked toward her.

“Let me explain this in a way you’ll understand,” Shepard said, her voice low and flat. “I’m not interested. You are a low-life piece of shit that will never know what true loyalty is.” She smirked when Garrus wrapped an arm around her waist, much to her ex’s dismay. “I’ve moved on, you should too.”

Holy shit that felt amazing, she thought as she wrapped her free arm around Garrus. “Just ignore his temper tantrum and keep moving,” Garrus whispered as he led her out of the docking bay, the ex’s yells of anger making her laugh.

“Sir? That man needs to be removed and please make sure his name is added to the list of people that aren’t allowed to enter where the Normandy is docked,” Shepard told the turian guard at the security desk.

“Of course, Commander,” he replied before he issued orders to the men and women behind him.

* * *

The arena had been a blast. Not only did they max the score board again, but they were given their next turn in the arena for free. Not that she minded paying, but still…free stuff was awesome.

Garrus spent the evening pampering her with dinner, dessert, a massage, and of course an orgasm. 

Later into the night cycle, when she woke up, Garrus wasn’t in bed. And the bed was cold. She panicked.

“Garrus?” she called out as she descended the stairs.

“In the office,” he returned. A soft relieved sigh left her lips as she padded across the cold floor to the office. “Everything okay?” He asked, his voice laced with concern that made her feel guilty for worrying him.

“Yeah,” she said as she slid onto his lap in the desk chair, his warm arms pulling her flush against him. “I just got spoiled the last few months I guess.”

“How so?”

“Either you’re there when I wake up or you just got up. So, when I woke up and the bed was cold in your place…” It was stupid. “I thought that maybe I was losing my mind and dreamed the last few months,” she rushed out, embarrassed.

Instead of laughing at her, he purred, the vibrations tickling her fingers that grasped his bare carapace. “I didn’t mean to make you feel crazy. I couldn’t sleep so I decided I’d come go through my messages and decline bonding proposals.”

She laughed thinking that he was joking until she saw the screen. “You’re serious?” She whispered. “Don’t you want to get married and have pretty little babies?” She asked him as he reached forward and declined the woman, in a very respectful manner, before sending it.

“I’m happy where I am, Shepard,” he replied quietly. “Children can happen anytime.”

That was true. “Just don’t let me stop you from having everything you want in life.” Curiosity got the best of her. “How many proposals have you received?”

“I lost count after a few hundred,” he replied easily. “So now I just push one button that pastes a pre-written reply. So much easier.”

“You aren’t even interested? What if one of these women are absolutely amazing?” She asked him.

“And men,” he informed her. That put dirty thoughts in her mind that he seemed to pick up on immediately. “Even less interested in men, Shepard,” he told her dryly. 

“Damn,” she teased. “And here I was hoping you’d let me watch.”

“That’s just going to have to be something in your dreams,” he told her as he finished up his messages. “Now, let’s go to bed.”

“Little Garrus turian babies would be the most adorable thing in the world,” Shepard said with a wistful smile as he lifted them both from the chair.

“I don’t know, little mini Shepard’s would top that list,” he said, his voice warm as he went into detail on their appearance, starting with the color of their hair.

Children were something she wanted some day. But she was happy where she was too. Garrus was an amazing friend, and generous in bed. His aftercare was just as tender as it was when he doctored the scratches left by a different turian. Though she was sure there was disappointment in his eyes when he wiped medigel over the bite marks he left on her shoulders, but then he was probably just concerned about hurting her. He'd always been a bit protective.


	6. Chapter 6

Several months fly by quickly. Work was always work, but with Garrus there, it made it much easier. It was currently the night cycle and she was on her way to the fridge to grab some water since her and Garrus had exhausted her supply. With Garrus asleep, it was easy to slip out bed and throw her robe on. 

She really didn’t expect anyone to be on the crew deck. The few that worked through the night cycle would be on the CIC. But when she rounded the corner, Solana was typing away on her datapad.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Shepard asked as she walked to the refrigerator.

“Actually, yes, but I want stick my nose in where it doesn’t belong, as you humans say,” Solana told her pointing to the chair next to her.

“What’s up?” Shepard asked quietly. 

“You’re in love with my brother,” Solana said, her eyes hard and inquisitive. “Spirits, by the look on your face you had no clue.” Solana rubbed her hands over her face. “I’m sorry, Shepard, I really thought you knew. This is why my dad tells me to shut up as much as he does,” she grumbled. “Forget I said anything, I’m not an expert on human body language or expressions, I’m only a student.” The turian quickly stood as she rambled and gathered her datapads. “Goodnight, Shepard.”

“Yeah, goodnight,” Shepard whispered. But Solana was already gone. Shaking her head at the idea, she returned to the elevator with the water bottles.

Her place in the bed was still warm when she slid back in, Garrus pulling her to him. Could she be? Impossible, she thought.

* * *

More often than not, she found herself thinking about what Solana said. She couldn’t help it and she couldn’t figure out whether or not it was true. 

Did she respect Garrus? Yes, very much. And Garrus respected her. They were equals, and that had made them better friends. The best.

So why the hell was this so hard to figure out?

With the Citadel in sight, Shepard once again shook the train of thought and made her way to the helm for the approach. It was always a beautiful sight to see, no matter how many times she’d seen it. Then there was the upside of being a spectre…

“Docking Bay granted, sending flight vector.”

“Vector received, beginning approach,” Joker replied.

Immediate parking. Man, she loved that. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve received our flight vector and docking bay. There will be a four day shore leave as soon as we’ve landed,” Shepard announced over the intercom.

There were times she wished she could give them more, but then again, most of the places she had to dock offered them leave for a day or two at a time. 

Once flight control gave them the all clear, crew begin filling the walkway excitedly talking about what they were doing first. Why they chose to crowd the walkway when they came in for supplies was a mystery to her. Habit perhaps. She just figured it would be easier to leave through the cargo bay.

There were plans for her tonight as well. She and Garrus had hardly spent any time together in the last week since he was swamped with some work from the Primarch. But, he’d taken the time to tell her that he’d be leaving the ship with her, taking her home, making her scream, then making sure they had a filling dinner before he took her back to bed.

The man was insatiable. Not that she was complaining. But it’s been a while since she’s had the sting of her shirt rubbing a healing mark. She kind of missed it. And him.

* * *

“I’ll take care of it if you go warm our cold dinner,” she said with a smirk before kissing his mandible. Round two had come within minutes of their food arriving. They hadn’t even made it all the way to the bedroom, instead, Garrus had bent her over the couch on the second floor.

He mumbled something her translator didn’t catch as he pulled up his pajama pants. 

The smile she had seemed permanent when he was around, she thought as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. And the glow. They had always been a good team. Seeing no holes or tears in her tank or underwear, she pulled the medigel from the drawer and swiped some on her finger. But before she doctored the fresh bite, she froze.

_I’m in love with Garrus._

Wiping her hand on the towel, she made her way down the stairs only to pace in the kitchen behind Garrus. She loved him. How did she not notice? Why did she not accept it? He was comfort and support. Utterly loyal to her. How had Solana seen it? Had anyone else?

“Did you want some help after all?” Garrus asked but she waved him off as she continued pacing, his gaze heavy on her.

Did he care about her? He was turning down dozens of bonding proposals because he was happy with their arrangement. But did he want more with her?

“Shepard?”

She ignored him in favor of processing each and every detail she could remember of their time together. The way he talked about her non-existent children, the way he always looked disappointed when she reached for the medigel…

The low warning growl when other turians showed interest.

The soft crooning when he thought she was sleeping. Holy fucking shit. How did she not _see_ all of this?

“Are you okay?”

She laughed, because what else could she do? She was hit in the heart and mind with an epiphany of epic proportions. No she wasn’t okay. She understood what his scent meant to her now. There hadn’t been words then because she failed to see it. But ohhhhh, she was seeing some pretty amazing shit now.

“You’re scent…” she said halting directly in front of him.

His mandibles twitched nervously as he sniffed his arm. “Do I stink?”

Laughter spilled from her lips again as she flung herself in his arms, his grunt the only indication of his surprise. “You smell like home,” she said as her eyes filled with tears.

“Shepard,” he whispered, his voice low and thick. “I don’t think you know what that means to a turian…”

“Do you want me to use the medigel, Garrus?” she asked him. No turning back, she had to know. She _needed_ to know.

“No,” he replied, his voice barely a whisper. 

“Get dressed, we’re going out,” she told him as she wiggled for him to release her.

“Why?”

“To celebrate!”

“Celebrate what, Shepard?” Garrus asked in frustration, confusion littered his face as he followed her up the stairs.

“This,” she said, pointing to the mark on her shoulder.

“Does this mean you’ll be my bondmate?” He asked, grabbing her wrist to stop her in her tracks. 

“What part of ‘ _you smell like home_ ’ do you not understand, Vakarian?” She replied. “Hell yes I will.”

She squealed when he lifted her up and carried her to bed.

There was no complaints, except for the lack of good food, but that came much, much later.

* * *

When they finally came up for air, a few days later, it was only to have breakfast with the Vakarian’s. 

“It’s about damn time you idiots finally saw the light,” Castis said as they took their seats at the diner on the strip.

“I’m sorry, I think I’m hearing things,” Shepard replied. “Did you just call us idiots?”

“What else do you call two people so suited for each other, that love each other, and that are completely oblivious to it?” Castis asked, his tone making Shepard feel like she was getting into trouble.

“Well, I knew before she did,” Garrus said, his huff making Shepard snort.

“Please,” Castis returned. “I knew long before the collector mission.”

“It doesn’t matter, Dad,” Solana interrupted. “They’re bonded now and that’s all that matters.”

“That’s true,” Castis replied with a happy trill. “Let’s talk grandkids.”

Shepard choked on her water while an embarrassed flush darkened Garrus’ neck as he tried to pat her back. It didn’t help at all.

Other than the small mishap, breakfast went along smoothly. She had been a little nervous since she didn’t cover the bond mark, but she was happy that Castis accepted her as easily as he did. Even if he did call her an idiot. 

Parents were embarrassing. And blunt. But having someone to call dad made none of that matter. Kids would happen eventually, she knew that. And Castis would dote on them no matter the species, she knew that too. For now, she would just enjoy gaining a mate. And a family to call her own. 

**EPILOGUE**

Blue always met the most interesting people on the late shift. Shepard being his personal favorite. It had been hard to see such a lively, celebrated person so crushed. But if rumors were true, then she’d found her mate in none other than her squadmate, Reaper Advisor Garrus Vakarian. He’d been at her six for years.

“Got another drunk for ya, Blue,” Bailey said from his desk. The human never seemed to sleep. Then again, being as high ranking as he was, even earning an office in the embassies must include a lot of over time with all the political stuff. Then there was him, Adryl Vastix, C-Sec officer assigned to Bailey to help keep high ranking people, and some lowly, from causing political incidents. 

“I’m on it,” Adryl said as he grabbed his pistol. 

“He’s on Silversun Strip screaming for Shepard outside of her apartment building,” Bailey filled him in quickly. The strip was close by. “And seeing how her marriage to Vakarian is set to hit the networks in the morning, we really need to get this one under wraps.”

“That must be the ex with the loose zipper,” Adryl said with humor.

“Indeed he is, Blue.” Bailey replied. “You know, one day you’ll have to tell me how you got the nickname.”

“Shepard,” he replied easily. Adryl was rather fond of it.

Bailey chuckled, shaking his head. “Of course it was.”


End file.
